BIRD NOTES 155 



upon the insect pests by devouring them. Day after 

 day the Cuckoo was welcomed, and in a very short 

 time had cleared the patch, and saved the situation. 



On the margin of an old book I found pencilled 

 the following: "I have found in my lifetime five 

 young Cuckoos in their nests, four being those of 

 the Pied Wagtail, and the other a Hedge Sparrow's. 

 In one of the nests, which was in a sawpit, were 

 four young Wagtails and the Cuckoo. One day, on 

 going to look at them, I found two of the Wagtails 

 upon the ground directly under the nest. Thinking 

 they might be put out by the Cuckoo, I watched 

 them rather narrowly, and the next day I saw the 

 Cuckoo wriggle himself until he got one of the 

 remaining Wagtails on his back, when he raised 

 himself, and shot the Wagtail out of the nest. On 

 the following day I found the other Wagtail on the 

 ground, no doubt got rid of by the Cuckoo in the 

 same way to make room for himself." 



The same hand had also pencilled as follows : " I 

 do not see that Mr. Hoy's finding of two eggs in one 

 nest proves that the Cuckoo lays more than one egg, 

 as in all probability the eggs were deposited by 

 different birds ; but still, I do not see that the Cuckoo 

 should be restricted to the laying of one egg only." 



